Quail Hunting Argentina
By Vikki Liro
If you are a dyed in the wool bird hunter you no doubt have traveled far and wide in search of the perfect covey or to watch that special duo of pointers.
But until you go south, and I mean way south, you just haven’t seen birds and I don’t mean a hundred or two hundred over the pegs. I mean literally thousands of birds that you will see when you venture down south to Argentina. There you will find a species of dove properly known as Zenaida auriculata which resembles our mourning doves.
You can find unbelievable hunting opportunities over most of Argentina. From Córdoba in the north to Las Pampas province in the south, bird hunting on an Argentinean estancia (ranch) is a great experience. Add in a round of golf or some fishing and you can be set for a full week of adventure that you will never forget.
You can take your twelve gauge autoloaders with you. Autoloaders are preferred because of their softener recoil for lots of shooting. But by dropping down a couple of notches in gauge size and realizing that heavy duty loads are just not necessary, you can enjoy the historic joy of shooting a more elegant firearm – the double.
Maximize your experience by taking your twenty or twenty eight gauge doubles. Be they over and under in design or classic side by sides there is nothing like taking a brace of doves. Then as you open your favorite two barrel, you will have your hand met by your loader deftly removing the still warm shotgun and replacing it with your number two gun freshly charged with new shells. Swing again and take another doublet of birds. The possibility of consuming two cases of shot shells in one day is not uncommon. Allow yourself to indulge in shooting while knowing that such an experience is not hurting the resident bird population. In fact your gunning vacation is helping to save many crops from true devastation by the birds that can devour a very large percentage of the crop.
After the morning hunt time you will no doubt return to the lodge of the estancia. Fine meals complemented with local wines make for a fine repast. While you are musing with your friends about the morning’s events, your bird boys are out setting the decoys in just the right locations for the afternoon’s pigeon hunting. This hunting is rather different from massive flights of doves you took in awe during the morning shoot. The birds are quick and you must give the proper amount of lead.
Since it is not possible to bring sufficient shells with you by air carrier you will need to use Argentinean produced shells. However, your shot shell needs will be fully covered by the lodge during your stay. While these shells are quite reliable they do tend to foul up your gun a bit more quickly due to the difference in powder. So after your luncheon take a few moments and clean your guns up so that they will function and service you well during your afternoon venture into the fields. You will find that 7/8ths of an ounce of number 5 shot is more than enough for these birds. And these lighter loads will not punish your shoulder nearly as much. But if you haven’t cleaned the actions the accumulated particulate may leave you somewhat remorseful.
The weather can be rather variable so be prepared for wet, hot, humid, windy, and cold – in short anything. Good boots are a must and if they have Gore-tex® liners all the better. Remember that the shooting is very intense so be sure to have a slip on sleeve for that English splinter fore end. A good set of thin leather gloves can also help to protect your hands when handling over heated gun barrels.
Make sure to work with your outfitter who represents the estancia regarding all necessary paperwork for bringing firearms into the country. Make certain that you have all the paperwork necessary to bring your guns back into the U.S. This should include registering your shotguns with U.S. Customs office and have a set of notarized documents of ownership with you. If you want to bypass the legal needs to take your own firearms you can usually arrange to rent a quality shotgun from the lodge you will stay at.
Many find the trip so enticing that they return routinely to take in the unique pleasures of the adventure again and again. So talk with your best shooting partners and start putting together a bird hunt that is truly down south - in Argentina.
